Menendez condemns Bush's approach to war

By Bill CahirNewhouse News Service
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez condemned President Bush's approach to the war in Iraq today, claiming the administration had relied on false premises to start the conflict and refused to acknowledge errors in judgment that had provoked the Iraqi insurgency, caused more than 3,600 American deaths and diverted attention from the pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"I'm outraged that we always hear the same story and the same promises from this administration," said Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who, as a House lawmaker, opposed the Iraq war resolution when it came to a vote in October 2002.

"Fear - fear - should not be the basis for our policy. But that is what the administration and its supporters in the Senate offer each time: Fear," Menendez stated today on the Senate floor.

"The Bush administration always says that change is just around the corner; that we should wait just a little longer for success. The Bush administration always has a new plan or new benchmarks. But they never meet those benchmarks or those deadlines, so they just change them," he added.

Menendez's speech, delivered shortly after Senate Republicans blocked an amendment, 56-41, that would have guaranteed military personnel more time in the United States between deployments, prompted an acid retort from U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican and White House ally.

Kyl, taking note of Menendez's outrage, dared Menendez to propose an amendment that would cut off funding for U.S. troops in Iraq.

If Menendez really were determined to end the war in Iraq and see no more lives lost, Kyl said, the New Jersey lawmaker should offer legislation to bring the war to a conclusion rather than simply back a plan to give soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines more time to recover between deployments.

Menendez replied that he would welcome Kyl's support for an amendment by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.

The Levin-Reed plan would require President Bush to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by April 30, 2008.

However, it would allow Bush to maintain a small contingent of American personnel in Iraq for counter-terrorism operations, protection of bases and supply lines, and training of Iraqi soldiers and police officers.

Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, today tried to discourage Senate lawmakers from making any change to Bush's existing policy of surging more American troops into Baghdad and surounding areas.

"It's important to realize that operationally the surge is two weeks old, in terms of getting everybody in place," Snow said.